Friday, November 11, 2011

This pomegranate braised lamb shoulder is about as seasonally appropriate as it gets, and one of the best things I’ve tasted in a long time. Actually, that’s not technically true, since I ate this same dish at the neighborhood restaurant I stole the idea from last week.

The place is called, Bar Bambino, and if you’re ever in San Francisco, you should give it a try. Anyway, I was so impressed by the combination of fall flavors, colors and textures that I decided to replicate it here. I think it’s a gorgeous plate of food, and all modesty aside, it tastes even better than it looks.

As I joke about in the video, braised lamb is pretty tough to screw up. Simply cook it until it’s tender, and if it isn’t quite succulent enough, leave it in a bit longer. That’s the reason that shoulder chops work so well, as they have the right amount of fat and connective tissue for the long, slow braise.

By the way, if you don’t have a large skillet with a lid like I used here, simply transfer everything into a Dutch oven before putting it in the oven. In a pinch, you could even do this in a stockpot, on top of the stove, over very low heat.

Anyway, the timing is perfect for this lovely fall meal, especially with the roasted pumpkin I used to dress up the plate. I will show you that simple procedure in a future video soon. In the meantime, I really hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

3 lbs thick-cut lamb shoulder chops (of course this would work with shanks as well)

Is there a beef alternative to lamb shoulder I could use for this recipe? It looks delicious but I am a poor person and I know beef is a poor substitute, but would you have any suggestions as to a cut to use?

Hi Chef John, I love your lamb recipe the pomegranate juice idea is excellent and will definitely do it. I would like to ask though, how old is the lamb. I mean is it a milk feeding lamb or over 9 months old? Those shoulder cutlets look pretty big.Thanks and have a good day.

Chef John rockin' the All-Clad. Was that a 13" French Skillet with helper handle? Also, the Lamb looks beyond delicious. And looks beyond eurphoric with your plating. I want to make and/or eat this now.

Chef John, thanks for another great recipe idea. I certainly miss cook 101 training but what exactly made you think of the sauce needing sweetness? is it because you've had it before and you know you like some honey in it or was it purely based on your tasting the sauce? Adding sweetness never comes to my mind. thanks

Chef, I'm a poor graduate student and do not have a proper pan for this.

Can I go all Macgyver on this recipe? That is, screw off the plastic handles from a pot and take some heavy duty foil to form a tight seal around the meat. (I guess my inner Alton Brown is trying to come out).

This is a great sounding recipe that will be on my plate if my lamb order ever arrives. With endless opportunities to modify this with different juices and meats this video is almost a technique instead of a recipe.

This is a wonderful dish. The balance of the sweetness of the pomegranate juice and the lamb is eloquent. This was a perfect meal for a chilly SF night. I will definitely make this again. Thanks Phyllis

Hi Chef John. You're my hero. I've tried many of your recipes over the years. This Friday I was looking for an elegant dish for my best friend's birthday. I settled on this one. What would you think of substituting port wine for honey? If you approve, how much port would you use, and would it be necessary to reduce it prior?

Chef John, I wanted to know what you thought about roasted cauliflower and butternut squash as one side and maybe some goat cheese polenta? It would make for a pretty plate but would these flavors combine well with the lamb recipe?

Burnt! I pride myself on following directions to the letter but I didn't completely seal the pot going into the oven. There was tiny steam hole in the lid which I tried to cover with aluminum foil. No luck. My lamb dried out.

Hi, John. I made this today. Not sure if my Le Creuset dutch oven had a leak, but the quantity of sauce left at two hours was inadequate, certainly to reduce by half! (Using 5 lamb sirloin chops.) So I added another 2 cups pomegranate juice & 1/3 cup balsamic and boiled it down after removing the lamb. Still delicious, and I'm about to take it to neighbors to share.

Is there any reason why doubling the sauce in the first place (hence boiling down initially to 2-3 cups before oven) would damage the braising process? Thanks, Karen.

Hi Chef John!This looks too good I decided to give this recipe a try! I was thinking to add some root vegetables to braise together with the lamb (e.g. carrots, beetroot),what do you think? Is it going to make to sauce too watery?